Stay in touch

The HPI Check® Report will tell you the history of any motorised vehicle registered in the UK, including cars, vans & motorbikes.

What is an HPI Check?®

An HPI Check is a vehicle check provided by HPI Ltd that scrutinises the history of any motorised vehicle registered in the UK including cars, vans and motorbikes. The HPI Check Report will alert you to any worrying information held against the vehicle by finance and insurance companies, the DVLA, the Police and other industry bodies. The HPI Check is probably the most important check you will do before buying a used car and should be your first line of defence against vehicle fraud.

What is included in an HPI Check®

Recorded as Stolen

Is the vehicle currently recorded on the Police National Computer as stolen?

These vehicles remain the property of the individual or organisation from whom they were taken. If you buy one of these you stand to lose it, together with the money you paid for it.

Insurance Write-Off

Has the vehicle been too badly damaged to be repaired economically or safely; has the insurance company declared it a total loss?

In some cases the damage to the vehicle is so severe that it cannot be repaired. These vehicles should never return to the road but some do, presenting a real danger to anyone who drives them.

Outstanding Finance

Is there an outstanding loan or finance agreement secured on the car?

Most finance agreements/loans will grant the lender ownership of the vehicle until the debt has been paid. The debt stays with the vehicle not the borrower. Even if you bought the vehicle in good faith, if the finance hasn’t been settled then the lender could repossess the vehicle, meaning you could lose the car and the money you paid.

Number of Previous Owners

How many previous owner/keepers have been recorded on the logbook by DVLA?

Use this information to verify it’s the same number that has been stated by the seller.

Recorded as Scrapped

Has the car been marked as scrapped by the DVLA?

If a vehicle has been marked as scrapped by the DVLA it should not be on the road or available for sale.

Logbook Check

Check the logbook actually belongs to the car you’re looking at and is the most recent issue.

There are currently more than 200,000 stolen V5C registration documents, or logbooks, in circulation. Any vehicle with a stolen V5C is likely to be cloned, rung or stolen.

Mileage Discrepancies *

Is the car displaying the correct mileage?

A mileage discrepancy could indicate that the vehicle has been clocked. A vehicle that has been clocked could have hidden wear and tear. Serious mechanical failures could occur if the correct service schedule hasn’t been maintained. The mileage of a vehicle also has a direct impact on its value so you could be paying well over the odds if the clock has been turned back.

* Mileage provided where available

Number Plate Changes

How many number plate changes has the car had and is there anything outstanding on a previous plate.

i. This register indicates whether a vehicle has had a legitimate registration plate change since April 1990. People change plates to personalise their vehicles, but they can also change them to hide a vehicle's history.

Imported/Exported

Has the car been imported or exported?

It can be difficult to find out information on the history of the imported vehicle prior to its registration in the UK. It can be difficult to buy replacement parts for an import and the cost of insurance for an imported car is significantly higher. An exported vehicle should not be in the country which could raise questions about the identity of the vehicle. You would also not be able to insure a car that has been marked exported by the DVLA.

Valuation

A guide valuation for a vehicle of this make and model with average mileage and condition for its age. Useful when it comes to negotiating a price.

Our valuation will give you a good idea of the price you should expect to pay if you’re buying or how much you can expect from a buyer if you’re selling.

Estimated Fuel Cost

The estimated fuel cost is based on 12,000 miles. This figure will help to gauge and compare the ongoing running costs of the vehicle you’re looking to buy.

VIN/Chassis check

As well as checking the vehicle’s registration number we also check there are no issues recorded against the car’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number).

We also check that the VIN/Chassis numbers on the car match the one on the V5C/Logbook. A mismatch could indicate a significant issue such as: cut and shut, stolen or cloned.

There's no such thing as a FREE HPI Check®

Any company claiming to offer a free HPI Check does not offer the genuine article. The HPI Check® is only available for purchase from hpicheck.com. It was created by HPI Ltd in 1938 and is a registered trademark.

A so called 'free HPI Check' will not provide you with the information about the car's history that you need to stay safe and keep one step ahead of vehicle fraud.

Over the years various companies have claimed to offer HPI Checks cheaply or for free. Beware of inferior imitations as there are many unfortunate stories about motorists who've been given outdated and inaccurate information.

Not only do we check millions of records across a variety of reliable sources, using the latest technology we also run a range of processes to keep it regularly updated. In fact, HPI has now improved the data on more than 35 million live vehicles, representing more than 97% of vehicles on the road. No other check keeps its vehicle history data as up-to-date as HPI.

Where our data comes from

DVLA

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport which is responsible for maintaining a database of drivers and vehicles in the UK.

Finance Houses

Banks finance houses and logbook loan companies will notify us of any outstanding finance agreements they hold relating to vehicles.

Insurance Companies

The Motor Insurance Fraud and Theft Register is provided by the UK insurance industry and records if a vehicle has been written off by an insurer and whether it was classified as Category A, B C or D total loss.

National Mileage Register

The National Mileage Register is a service operated by HPI Ltd, it’s used to research and confirm previous mileages on vehicles. The register currently holds in excess of 200 million mileage readings.

Industry Bodies

SMMT (The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) is the trade association for the UK motoring industry. It provides daily vehicle data and technical vehicle stats.

Police Records

The Police National Computer consists of several databases giving access to information of national and local significance, including whether or not a vehicle is currently reported stolen.

Have a question? Check out our help & support pages for answers to the most common questions.